"Is this the culture of surfing we’re aspiring to?"
We were, collectively, first introduced to Lucy Small over four years ago now. The heretofore little known longboarder burst onto our scene after winning the Curly Mal Jam, dubbed Australia’s premier one-day longboarding event, was handed the microphone and dropped a bomb.
“Hello… I finally won something,” she began, sun shimmering overhead. “Thank you so much for having us, super stoked to be here. I just wanted to point out, thank you so much to the sponsors for all the money for the event, but I would say it’s a bittersweet victory knowing that our surfing is worth less than half as much as the men’s prize money. It costs the same amount to fly here, accommodation costs the same, and our surfing is worth half as much so maybe we can think about that for next time.”
Overnight, the diminutive cross-stepper was a star and one worthy of the spotlight, clashing with testosterone-squirting Ian Cairns, holding dead and/or dying surf brands to account, bashing and smashing the “apex predator of the patriarchy” wherever and whenever he showed his pale face.
Now, you would imagine with such fame etc. that any longboard event anywhere in the world would be glad to have her but then you’d imagine wrong, which may just be why longboarding sucks.
Small recently applied for a slot in the prestigious Noosa Festival of Surfing but was told by its chairman, John Finlay, “Thank you for your interest in competing in the 2025 Noosa Festival of Surfing. We note that you are currently ineligible to enter any surfing competitions where Noosa Malibu Club is a stakeholder. Accordingly, we are unable to accept your entry. A full refund of your fees will be made as soon as practical.”
But why the draconian ban? As she explains:
Just pondering this and wondering what to do, where to go from here. What do you do when one of the biggest longboard events of the year prevents you from entering because you believe in universal equality? Is it keep pushing back and fighting knowing that all that is going to come your way is probably more of this? Is it just accept it?
In 2023 I found out at the Noosa Logger, an event run by Noosa Mal Club, was offering unequal prize money. I contacted Surfing Australia to ask them to look into it and they said that there had been a clear breach of rules, providing this comment to Kate at the Daily Telegraph. I facilitated people who were at the event to speak to Kate and provide her background information and some comment. My own comments were general in nature.
After the story came out it appeared that Noosa Logger had found a loophole by naming the division with more prize money an open division despite it being advertised on their website as “open men’s” and having 21 men in the division. There was one woman – the president of the club Glen Gower’s daughter. In 2024 Surfing Australia closed this loophole in the rule book following the incident.
I did not write the article, I did not make the comments that the club was being reprimanded, I did not have the power to retract the story, I don’t even have a podcast! Glen Gower, the president of the club made a complaint to Surfing Australia against me which was not upheld.
So here we are. Is this the culture of surfing we’re aspiring to? Is this the kind of event surfers and sponsors want to be part of? Is it just easier to ignore it because I am just one person and Noosa Festival is much bigger? I’m not sure, but I am definitely sad and hurt. I have competed at Noosa since 2011, missing only a few years in this time. I have great memories of the event and it’s awful that because someone doesn’t agree with me or like me, they would think stopping me from entering the event is the answer. I think people in the world of surfing who have never had their views challenged or questioned don’t like it when someone is forthright and defiant, but I don’t think those who are should be prevented from competing.
I think I shall boycott the Noosa Festival of Surfing this year and every year to come.
What sissies.
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Soo Lucy Surfed at Noosa and came last in both her heats, (way to let your surfing do the talking girl!) Also the paragraph about the loop hole after the event reads NMC added Gowers daughter and other women throughout all the mixed events after the event is laughable and only a moron would write, declare or believe this 🤣
The situation is even more disturbing than initially thought. Kate Allman and Lucy Small, founders of Equal Pay for Equal Play NSW, fabricated a story about unequal prize money at the Noosa Logger event to promote themselves. This is a clear case of hypocrisy, as they were advocating for equal pay while simultaneously spreading false information to further their own interests.
The consequences of their actions are severe:
– Kate Allman received an 8-month suspension from working with Surfing Australia.
– Lucy Small was issued a formal warning.
Their actions not only damaged the reputation of the Noosa Logger event and the volunteer organization behind it but also undermined the credibility of the equal pay movement. It’s essential to hold individuals accountable for their actions, especially those who claim to advocate for social justice causes.
Trump’and other’s calls to arms to protest a free and fair election they didn’t like the outcome of on a privately held platform isn’t taking away their first amendment rights. Same as if you submitted an Op-ed to BG they are not obligated to publiMusk’Likewiss claims that he bought Twitter to restore free speech are clearly bullshit as he has banned and shadow banned people he doesn’t agree with or whom have crossed him.
Likewise the Us supreme court has limits on free speech as outlined by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes “shouting fire in a crowded theater”. The speech that Trump and his supporters engaged in would reasonably be seen by a reasonable person to be an incitation and an invitation to commit violent acts…and they should have been held liable for those acts.
She isn’t in the US mate. Australia does have laws protecting free speech but it isn’t the first amendment. Also the club isn’t a governmental organization and they can ban her at their whim unless there is some whistle blower protection she is entitled to, which again would be doubtful she’d get bc she didn’t go to a government agency she went to the press.
Shame you’re sitting it out Chas. You’d be right at home in Noosa with all the other entitled linen clad manbags.
I find it troubling that you choose to impune our Messiah in this manner
Linen is his only messianic connection.
Possibly. Did you really feel you needed to post this?
Since you’re keen to take a statement and draw conclusions that I haven’t stated, you’re ok with people turning up to your work, school, party, uninvited?
If the tour surfers had a union with any balls amd/or common sense they would have refused to have signed away their right to talk shit or compete in non sanctioned events. Now the WSL have the wh8p hand and they can’t even defect to the ISA. Like I said, gimp move by the surfers.
In any case, the Noosa festival have declared one person persona non grata, not the entire division.
No one has taken away her free speech.
Actually, Don Julio, one step up! $150.
A little irony here given it’s Lucy we’re talking about:
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
If this wheel squeaks loud enough these surf festival events will have zero prize money. It’s like showing up to a potluck empty handed and expecting to get to eat and bring home leftovers. Do that twice and see if you get welcomed in the door a third time.
Not denying it’s a petty move. Just that in most of these scraps that Lucy gets involved in, she’s dragging them into an arena where she has the lion’s share of power. That Kirra Longboard Klassic controversy – the organiser’s world would be resource consents, Portaloos and generator hire. Next thing he finds himself in the Instagram and popular radio colosseum, with Lucy up high eating grapes.
*Kontroversy
I’m looking forward to attending the Lucy Small/ Rachael Gunn /Sasha Jane Motivational Lecture / Stand up gig- “Breakdancing the longboards, No balls required”
Groucho wrote it first in 1954 in an infamous resignation letter to the Friars Club. Prefer Matt George tbh
Have you ever organised a community sports event? Position of power – no! I’ve done two for my club over two years and it aged me about 10. For my voluntary troubles, had to deal with three formal complaints via the regional body. Brutal business.
Life doesn’t work the way you wish it did. It’s just the same as banning someone who’s been a pest from entering your shop. Yooy know, like those “no hawkers” signs at the front of businesses.
That’s livelihoods and the WSL in a position of power. Let’s not forget Lucy’s battle ground is community events.
Who gives a rat’s about a longboarding event anyway.
Sorry Lucy, but my friend Sasha Jane knows exactly how you feel….
So get in line….
…. behind her
Here some patriarchy. .toxic stuff from a proud dude..she surf with thong?..
In Olden times they had “speakers corner ” where you could trash talk the monarch.
These days she can talk shit about whatever she wants on twitter or instagram. No one’s talking that away from her.
Even the olympic charter sees athletes banned if their publicly go off script.